ΜΕΤΟΧΗ (metoxi) — Lexarithmos 1023 · Etymology, Meanings

Definition

According to the Liddell-Scott-Jones Lexicon, the primary meaning of μετοχή is "a sharing in, partaking of, partnership, communion." This fundamental concept of distribution and relation is central to ancient Greek thought, both practically and theoretically.

In philosophy, μετοχή (or methexis) gained particular significance in Plato, where it describes the relationship between sensible particulars and the eternal Forms. Sensible things "participate" in the Forms, deriving their existence and qualities from them. For example, a beautiful object participates in the Form of Beauty. This theory of participation became a cornerstone of Platonic metaphysics, explaining how the eternal and immutable connects with the perishable and changing.

Beyond philosophy, μετοχή was also established as a technical term in Greek grammar, describing the category of verbal forms that "partake" in both the qualities of a verb (tense, mood, voice) and the qualities of a noun or adjective (case, gender, number). The "participle" as a grammatical term is a characteristic example of Greek linguistic terminology drawing from broader philosophical concepts.

Etymology

μετοχή ← μετέχω ← μετά + ἔχω

The word "metoche" derives from the verb "metecho," which is a compound of the preposition "meta" (here denoting co-existence, participation, sharing) and the verb "echo" (meaning "to have, to hold, to possess"). This compound creates the sense of "having with others," "sharing," "participating." The root of "echo" is an Ancient Greek root belonging to the oldest stratum of the language, with extensive productivity throughout the Greek vocabulary.

The family of "echo" is exceptionally rich and productive. From it stem words denoting possession, state, relation, form, and even existence itself. The preposition "meta" adds the nuance of co-existence or change, creating numerous compound verbs and nouns that express participation, transformation, or succession.

Main Meanings

Participation, share, joint ownership — The basic and original meaning: having a part or share in something, participating in an activity, or sharing ownership. E.g., «μετοχὴ ἐν τῇ πόλει» (participation in civic affairs).
Philosophical participation (Plato) — In Platonic philosophy, the relationship of sensible things to the eternal and immaterial Forms. Things "participate" in the Forms, deriving their essence and qualities from them. E.g., «τὰ καλὰ μετέχει τοῦ καλοῦ» (beautiful things participate in the Beautiful).
Grammatical term: participle — The verbal form that combines properties of a verb (tense, mood, voice) and an adjective/noun (case, gender, number). E.g., «ὁ γράφων» (the one writing), «τὸ γεγραμμένον» (that which has been written).
Share, stock (modern usage) — In modern economics, a unit of ownership in a company, i.e., a stock share. Although more recent, it directly derives from the concept of a "portion" or "share."
Communion, fellowship — The act of co-existing or communicating, especially in a religious or spiritual context. E.g., «κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος» (communion of the Holy Spirit).
Relation, connection — A more general sense of connection or relationship between two or more things, where one possesses some quality or characteristic of the other.

Word Family

met-ech- (root of the verb metecho, from meta + echo)

The root met-ech- originates from the compound of the preposition "meta" (denoting co-existence, sharing) and the verb "echo" (meaning "to have, to hold"). This compound generates a family of words revolving around the concepts of participation, joint possession, relation, and state. The productivity of the root "echo" is immense in the Greek language, yielding words that describe everything from simple ownership to abstract philosophical concepts, while the addition of "meta" provides the extra dimension of co-existence or change.

μετέχω verb · lex. 1750

The verb from which metoche is derived. It means "to have a share, to participate, to share." It forms the basis for understanding the concept of participation at all levels, from the material to the spiritual. E.g., «μετέχειν τῆς δόξης» (to partake in glory).

μέτοχος ὁ, ἡ · noun · lex. 1285

One who has a share, a participant, a partner. As an adjective, it means "participating." The word emphasizes the person or thing in a state of participation. E.g., «μέτοχοι τῆς πόλεως» (citizens participating in the city).

ἔχω verb · lex. 1405

The basic verb of the root, meaning "to have, to hold, to possess, to be in a certain state." It is fundamental for expressing ownership, relation, and existence in the Greek language. E.g., «ἔχω φίλον» (I have a friend).

ἕξις ἡ · noun · lex. 275

A state, habit, or quality acquired through repetition. From "echo" in the sense of "possessing" a quality. In Aristotelian philosophy, "hexis" is a stable state or disposition, such as virtue. E.g., «ἀρετὴ ἕξις ἐστίν» (virtue is a hexis).

σχέσις ἡ · noun · lex. 1215

A relation, state, condition, or posture. Derived from the stem *sch- of the verb "echo." It describes how two things are connected or the condition in which something exists. E.g., «σχέσις πρὸς ἀλλήλους» (relation to one another).

σχῆμα τό · noun · lex. 849

Form, shape, appearance, posture. Also from the stem *sch- of "echo," in the sense of "holding" a particular form or stance. Important in philosophical and rhetorical texts. E.g., «σχῆμα τοῦ σώματος» (the shape of the body).

κατέχω verb · lex. 1726

A compound verb from "kata" + "echo," meaning "to hold fast, to possess, to dominate, to restrain." It indicates a more intense and often restrictive form of possession or retention. E.g., «κατέχω τὴν πόλιν» (I hold the city).

ἀντέχω verb · lex. 1756

A compound verb from "anti" + "echo," meaning "to hold out against, to endure, to resist." It implies resistance or perseverance under difficult conditions. E.g., «ἀντέχω τοῖς πολεμίοις» (I resist the enemies).

Philosophical Journey

The word "metoche" has a rich history, evolving from its initial meaning of sharing into a central philosophical and grammatical term.

5th-4th C. BCE

Classical Greek (Plato)

Metoche is widely used in the sense of participation and share. Plato elevates it to a central term in his metaphysics, describing the relationship of sensible things to the Forms (e.g., «Parmenides», «Phaedo»).

4th C. BCE

Aristotle

Aristotle, though critical of Plato's theory of Forms, uses "metoche" in different contexts, such as participation in a community or the relationship between cause and effect (e.g., «Metaphysics»).

3rd C. BCE - 1st C. CE

Hellenistic Period (Grammar)

During the Hellenistic period, metoche becomes established as a technical term in grammar, referring to the verbal form that "partakes" in both verbal and nominal/adjectival qualities. Alexandrian grammarians systematize this usage.

1st C. CE

New Testament

In the New Testament, "metoche" is used to denote fellowship, participation in spiritual blessings, or solidarity among believers (e.g., «κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος» - 2 Corinthians 13:13).

2nd-5th C. CE

Patristic Theology

The Church Fathers continue to use "metoche" in a theological context, often to describe humanity's relationship with God and participation in divine energies, distinguishing it from God's essence.

Modern Greek

Economics

In modern Greek, the word retains its older meanings of participation but also acquires the specialized economic sense of a "share" in a company (stock market share).

In Ancient Texts

Three significant passages that highlight the use of "metoche" in different contexts:

«καὶ οὕτω δὴ τὰ μὲν ἄλλα πάντα τῇ τῶν ἰδεῶν μετοχῇ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἴσχει, τὰ δὲ εἴδη αὐτὰ τῇ ἀλλήλων μετοχῇ.»

And thus, all other things derive their appellation from their participation in the Forms, while the Forms themselves derive theirs from their participation in one another.

Plato, «Parmenides» 132e

«καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.»

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.

Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 13:13

«μετοχὴ δὲ ῥήματος καὶ ὀνόματος.»

A participle is a partaking of a verb and a noun.

Dionysius Thrax, «Art of Grammar» 13

Lexarithmic Analysis

The lexarithmos of the word ΜΕΤΟΧΗ is 1023, from the sum of its letter values:

Μ = 40

Mu

Ε = 5

Epsilon

Τ = 300

Tau

Ο = 70

Omicron

Χ = 600

Chi

Η = 8

Eta

= 1023

Total

40 + 5 + 300 + 70 + 600 + 8 = 1023

1023 decomposes into 1000 (hundreds) + 20 (tens) + 3 (units).

The 18 Methods

Applying the 18 traditional lexarithmic methods to the word ΜΕΤΟΧΗ:

Method	Result	Meaning
Isopsephy	1023	Base lexarithmos
Decade Numerology	6	1+0+2+3 = 6. The hexad symbolizes balance, harmony, and creation, as the world was created in six days. It reflects the idea of completeness and fullness implied by participation.
Letter Count	6	6 letters. The hexad, as the first perfect number (1+2+3=6), is associated with perfection and harmony, concepts that echo the Platonic approach to participation as a connection to the perfection of the Forms.
Cumulative	3/20/1000	Units 3 · Tens 20 · Hundreds 1000
Odd/Even	Odd	Masculine force
Left/Right Hand	Right	Divine (≥100)
Quotient	—	Comparative method
Notarikon	Μ-Ε-Τ-Ο-Χ-Η	Methexis Enos Ton Homoion Charaktērizei Hēmas (interpretive: 'Participation in one of the like characterizes us')
Grammatical Groups	2V · 0D · 4C	2 vowels (ε, ο), 0 diphthongs, 4 consonants (μ, τ, χ, η). This distribution highlights the word's stability.
Palindromes	No
Onomancy	—	Comparative
Sphere of Democritus	—	Divination with lunar day
Zodiacal Isopsephy	Mercury ☿ / Cancer ♋	1023 mod 7 = 1 · 1023 mod 12 = 3

Isopsephic Words (1023)

Words from the Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon with the same lexarithmos (1023) but different roots, offering interesting conceptual parallels:

ἀκατάκριτος

"Akatakritos" means "uncondemned, innocent." Its isopsephy with "metoche" can suggest the idea that innocence is a state in which one "participates" or a quality one "possesses" without having been judged.

στέρησις

"Steresis" means "privation, lack, deprivation." As an isopsephic of "metoche," it creates an interesting contrast: metoche as possession or participation, versus steresis as lack or absence. This duality is fundamental in philosophy.

σύγκολλος

"Synkollos" means "glued together, united, inseparable." Its isopsephy with "metoche" highlights the concept of close connection and interdependence implied by participation, whether in an idea or a community.

τεκνοποίησις

"Teknopoiesis" means "the act of procreation, the bearing of children." The connection to "metoche" can be interpreted as participation in the creation of life or the shared possession of parenthood, a profound form of participation and sharing.

ἐπιτιμητός

"Epitimetos" means "reproachable, blameworthy." Its isopsephy with "metoche" can suggest the idea that responsibility for an action, and thus blame, is a state in which one "participates" or which one "possesses" due to one's actions.

εὐέμβατος

"Euembatos" means "easy to enter, accessible." Its isopsephy with "metoche" can allude to the idea that participation in something becomes easy or accessible, or that participation itself opens the way to understanding or experience.

The LSJ lexicon contains a total of 67 words with lexarithmos 1023. For the full catalog and AI semantic filtering, see the interactive tool.

Sources & Bibliography

Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S. — A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed. with revised supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996.
Plato — Parmenides, edited by John Burnet. Oxford University Press, 1903.
Aristotle — Metaphysics, edited by W. D. Ross. Oxford University Press, 1924.
Dionysius Thrax — Art of Grammar, edited by G. Uhlig. Teubner, 1883.
Bauer, W., Arndt, W. F., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W. — A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (BDAG), 3rd ed. University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Chantraine, P. — Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque: histoire des mots. Paris: Klincksieck, 1968-1980.